Stains
by Eli-Aries
Summary: So. Bad. Don't. Read.
1. Nothing good ever comes out of an alley

Cole woke up, and for a second thought he was back in his warm room, in his house, but a quick look around reminded him of where he really was. He was on a bus to Salem, with his brother Dylan, and best friend Eli. Dylan was asleep, leaning his head against Cole's body, and Eli sat on Cole's other side, arms crossed, staring out the window. Cole racked his brain to remember the events of earlier today.

"_We could go to Salem." Eli suggested._

"_Why Salem?" Dylan asked._

"_I've got a cousin there, he'd take us in."_

_The boys had no other ideas, so to Salem they went. They used some of the money they'd brought to buy bus tickets._

Cole sighed, and stared down at his sleeping twin. He smiled and held him tighter.

"Eli" Cole said out of the blue.

"Yes?"

"Tell me more about your cousin."

"I haven't seen him in about 2 years, but last I heard, he was in a band, and living it good."

Cole had no further questions, so he rested his head back on top of his brothers, and tried to go back to sleep, it was rather late after all. He found he couldn't, he was too preoccupied with scanning the bus, looking at all the shady looking people. He fondled with the Switchblade in his pocket, and found solace in it.

_I will protect Dylan, no matter what. Even if that means someone gets hurt…No one touches my brother, or my friends._

With that out of his mind, he drifted back off to sleep.

The next time he would awake, it would be by force. Eli was gently shaking his shoulder. Cole could make some words out such as "We're here, now get up". He did so, and stood up, stretching his legs for a few seconds, before grabbing his bags, and following his brother and Eli out of the bus.

Eli looked around then said "We're in Portland now. We take a bus to Salem, and then we find my brother. We should probably rent a hotel room for the night I guess."

Cole nodded, trying to act like he wasn't totally lost. They wandered the streets for a bit, until Cole noticed a Motel sign, they walked in and rented a room. It was 40 bucks. They walked into the room and threw their bags on the floor. Cole locked the door, and threw himself onto the bed. It reminded him of his bed, at his house, but he shook his head, and started going through his food bag. He brought out a loaf of bread and ripped a piece off. He threw the rest back in the bag, and started eating. Eli came out of the shower, and Cole and Dylan went in. It was smaller than the one at home, but they managed to clean themselves off with a little effort.

They got out, and Eli took the twin bed on the right, and Cole and Dylan took the left one. Dylan, with a fair bit of effort, turned around and faced Cole.

"Cole…"

"What's up Dyl?"

"What if Eli's cousin isn't there, or doesn't take us in?"

"We'll figure that out when it's time, now go to sleep"

Dylan figured Cole knew what he was doing, so he buried his head in his younger brother's chest, and fell asleep. Cole smiled at his brother, and nodded off to sleep eventually.

The next morning, the three friends checked out of the hotel, and started the walk to the bus stop, which was halfway across town. Eli said that they were almost there, and since they were early, could sit down and rest for a bit. They found a bench near an alley between two buildings, and sat there. Then something caught Dylan's eye, he saw a twenty dollar bill laying on the ground next to him. He pointed it out to Cole, and then walked over to it. It fluttered into the alley way, Dylan followed; Cole, not wanting to leave his brother alone, followed as well. Eli said he'd stay and watch the bags.

Cole watched as Dylan picked up the bill when it finally landed, and then looked up, to see a man right next to him. He was balding, and had a creepy air about him, and he had a scar on his forehead, such as one might get from falling on asphalt. Cole froze; it was the man from the bus stop! Cole had forgotten that they were still in Portland. The man gave Dylan a wicked stare, which sent Cole running to Dylan's side.

The man pulled out a knife, and pointed at Dylan. "Give me your wallet, NOW!"

Dylan trembled as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, but half way through that, the man ran up and grabbed him; this triggered something in Cole, almost as if a line had been crossed. He plunged his hand into his pocket, and drew the switchblade, flicking it out. The man saw this, and dropped Dylan to the ground, kicking him as he did so. Cole was suddenly filled with a fury, and charged the man, catching him off guard. He tackled him, and started stabbing as hard as he could. He felt a pain shooting up his left arm, and then darkness.

**A/N:So ends Chapter 1 of my new story "Stains". It is the sequel to "Together". Hope you liked this chapter. Also, I'd like everyone to review and tell me whether they like Sad or Happy endings. Seeya Tomorrow!**


	2. What I've Done

Cole could see nothing, heard nothing, all he knew was that he was conscious. He tried to move each part of his body in turn, but he had no sense of feeling, just a strange sensation of falling. Eventually he managed to start making out noises, and voices. Some of the feeling came back into his toes, and gradually spread upward. Eventually he opened his eyes and looked around, he was in a small room, lying on a bed; next to him was Dylan, sweating with anxiety. Across from him was Eli, a worried look on his face.

"What happened?" Cole managed to mumble.

Dylan looked immensely relieved and said "The man ran a knife down your left arm, and then kicked you off of him. You banged your head on the ground and passed out. The man just stared at you for moment before he…well…died."

"Died?" Cole asked nervously.

"…Yea, died. You stabbed him a lot Cole…" Eli muttered, trying to avoid getting into too much detail.

"So does that mean that I…killed him?"

Eli was silent; he didn't know how to answer that…

Dylan spoke up to break the silence "No Cole, you didn't kill him. You saved me."

Cole shook his head. He had killed someone. A living, breathing human; Cole had taken a life. He started to shake and turn pale. He wasn't sure what to think or feel. Nothing seemed real anymore. He grabbed a bucket Dylan had set nearby and threw up. Then he was silent, he just lay down and stared at the ceiling. He didn't move, and tried not to breathe. Dylan lay down next to him and held him, but Cole did not show any reaction. He just focused on the ceiling, one tiny little dot; almost too small to see. It helped him…It gave him some definition of reality. That dot was real, and Cole could see it.

Dylan was getting worried; he started shaking his brother until he got a response.

"Dylan…I killed someone" Then he buried his head into his brother's shoulder. Eli sat in the corner of the small hotel room, no idea what to do.

"Coley Moley…please don't cry; I can't stand it when you cry…" Dylan said, his voice was that of someone who was trying a great deal to stay calm.

Cole just shook his head and held onto Dylan tightly.

When Cole would fall asleep, it would never be longer than a half an hour at a time, and he would wake up sweating, and most of the time screaming. Dylan lay next to him, holding him close. When Cole woke up for the tenth time, Dylan looked him in the eye and said "Cole, you made a promise to me. Do you remember? You said you would always protect me, no matter what. How can you protect me when you can't even sleep, think, or eat?" Cole said nothing, but he did not wake up once that night.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short, I had alot going on today, Mother got in a car wreck...blegh. Anyway, I'll update witha longer chapter tomorrow to make it up.**


	3. The Fuckin' Truck

Dylan opened his eyes the next day to find his brother sleeping soundly next to him, which was a huge relief. He kissed his cheek and then got up and got dressed. He saw Eli sleeping on the floor, and smiled. He sat down at the table in the corner and started thinking.

_Hmm…We had to spend 70 total dollars on this room …so that leaves us with 80 dollars in cash. _

Out of the corner of Dylan's eyes, he noticed Cole shift a little in his sleep.

_Poor Cole…_ And then it hit Dylan; Cole had saved his life, but he had taken another. A tear rolled down Dylan's cheek as he stared at his sleeping brother. He went over to him and started crying softly into his chest, this woke Cole up, who stared at Dylan.

"Thank you Cole…!" Dylan sputtered through tears, his voice cracking and shaking.

Cole gripped his brother tightly and smiled, tears now running down his face as well. "I told you already, didn't I? Nobody touches my brother."

The moment was slightly ruined when Eli woke up, looked around, and then fell back asleep.

Cole laughed a little, and the two went to the bathroom and cleaned up. In a few hours the three friends were walking down the streets of Portland towards the bus stop. They passed the alley from yesterday, Cole tried not to look at it, so he stared at his feet, but to his horror, he saw on his left shoe, several, bloody stains. He shook his head and kept walking.

When they finally arrived at the bus stop and they got on, taking seats near the window, and prepared themselves for a long ride. Dylan leaned against Cole, and after an hour or so, fell asleep; Cole hardly noticed, his mind was racing.

_What if Eli's cousin isn't their? What if he can't do anything for us? Then we come home and get sent to that camp…_

He tried thinking about other things, to no avail. Finally he too drifted off to sleep.

He awoke a little while later, to find Eli and Dylan sleeping. He shifted around in his sleep and put an arm around Dylan.

A few minutes later, he saw a sign that read "Sherwood – 2 miles". He smiled and was relieved that the journey was half over. As the bus pulled into the stop, he woke his brother and his friend, and they got off.

Dylan yawned and then turned to Eli. "We're halfway here, now what?"

"I…don't…well…err…know." Eli admitted. "All I can say for sure is that Salem is down the highway."

Dylan sighed, and the three started walking down the road. A few hours later, they saw a sign that had in big white letters "Wilsonville – 3 miles". All of them sighed in turn, and then kept walking. Dylan looked up, it was starting to get dark.

They kept walking for about a half an hour more when a large old truck pulled up next to them, the window rolled down, revealing a tired, but otherwise friendly face. "You boys want a ride?" He said with a creepy smile.

"No." Cole said flatly, he had his hand in his pocket, fondling his switchblade.

"You su-"

"NO" Cole interrupted. "Come on guys." Eli shrugged at Dylan and they kept walking. The truck pulled up ahead of them again, the window still rolled down.

"Now listen here, you fuckin' punks. I'm trying to do something nice for you, now get in the truck!"

Cole pulled Dylan closer to him "I've told you once, No. We don't want a ride, now please leave us alone." They started to walk off before the man stepped out of the truck and started walking towards them.

Eli laid his bags down near Cole and Dylan, and stood in front of them, facing the man. "Listen, we really don't want any trouble, so back off. Okay?" he spat.

The man scowled at them "I fuckin' told you. I'm doin' y'all a fuckin' favor! So stop fuckin' back talkin' me, and GET IN THE FUCKIN' TRUCK!" He screamed the last words, and then threw a punch at Eli's face, sending him to the ground. Cole groaned, but then Eli looked up at them.

"Cole, Dylan, run!" He said, starting to get up.

"Eli…" Cole started to say but Eli shook his head.

"RUN!" Cole and Dylan took off down the road, they looked back in time to see Eli grab a rock off the ground and turn around and slam the man in the face with it. To their dismay, he did not fall, he barely even winced. He grabbed Eli by the throat, and lifted him off the ground, before slamming a fist into the side of his head. Eli kneed him in the groin, causing him to drop him. Eli staggered, wiping blood off of his forehead. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, but he was soon on the ground again as the man threw another devastating blow to the side of his head. Eli lay on the ground, not moving, a small pool of blood appearing underneath his head.

It was almost impossible for Cole and Dylan to keep running as they saw the man kick Eli repeatedly, but they knew if they didn't keep moving, Eli would die in vain. The boys just tried to forget about it and kept running.

They arrived at Wilsonville tired and sweaty, but alive. They looked around for a hotel. They got a room at a cheap one, and showered and changed in silence. Dylan sat by the window, and Cole lay on the bed.

"Cole! Look outside!" Dylan suddenly exclaimed

Cole ran to the window to see a terrible sight. A bloodied teen was staggering down the sidewalk; he looked like a walking corpse. His face was badly swollen, and he was covered in blood from head to toe, slowly shuffling down the street. Dylan and Cole recognized him as Eli even though he was soaked with blood; but as they ran to him, he collapsed on the ground, unmoving.

**A/N:This chapter is double the length I usually do, to make up for the short one yesterday. Anyway, I'll let you guys in on a secret. I try not to post new chapters until I get some reviews. Don't add my story to your alerts if you won't review it! :) Thanks for reading, and please keep reviewing.**


	4. Stains

The twins quickly rushed to Eli's side; Cole checked his breathing while Dylan started picking him up, Together they managed to bring him into the hotel room, getting strange looks from manager while doing so. They laid him in the bathtub and started cleaning him up. Cole stripped off his bloody clothes, and Dylan rinsed him off and dressed his wounds best as they could. He lay unconscious on the bed, breathing very ragged and shallow, but still breathing.

He started to open his eyes, and Dylan and Cole nearly pounced on him, hugging him to death.

"Eli!" They both exclaimed, tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. "How did you escape?" Dylan asked, awestruck.

"He threw me against the door of his truck, it broke the glass and I grabbed a shard and jammed it through his eye…into his…" He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

"You saved our lives!" Cole cried out, hugging him tighter.

The three all fell asleep in the large queen bed that night. Dylan in his brothers arms, Eli back to back with Dylan.

They all awoke rather sleepily the next morning. Dylan smiled at his brother and gave him a kiss with his "Good morning"

They got their stuff together and went out to eat at a nearby diner. Leaving there, Cole looked between them. "We are down to our last 10 dollars. We need to get to Salem today." Eli and Dylan both nodded and they set off down the road.

**8 hours later…**

The boys staggered down the road and groaned when they saw a sign "Salem – 35 miles". Eli looked down and winced when he saw, on his left shoe, 3 large, bloody stains. He shook it off and kept on walking when a Cop car pulled up to them.

Rolling its window down, the man in the passenger seat said "What the hell are you boys doing at this time of night? It's the highway, there's a load of creeps out there you know."

They explained that they were heading to Salem, leaving out the fact that they were run-a ways. They simply said they had gotten separated from their family in Salem. The cops offered to give them a ride and they joyously accepted.

The Cop's pulled into the Salem police station a little while later, and then the problems started arising.

"So where is it you say you live?" The Cop asked Eli.

"Umm…I need to call." The Cop nodded and handed him some money for the pay phone. He made a call and then returned to the Cop, saying that someone was on their way. The Cop nodded and took a seat next to them.

"What happened there?" He observed the stains on Cole and Eli's Shoes.

"Uh…Just had a bloody nose." Cole said, a little too quickly.

"And him?" The cop implored, nodding towards Eli.

"He handed me a tissue and some blood fell on his shoe too." Cole replied nervously.

The cop gave them a strange look, but asked no further questions.

A van suddenly pulled up in front of the Station and a man got out. He was fairly light skinned with brown hair down to the middle of his ears, and a gray beanie on. He nodded at Eli and started filling out paperwork. After he was done he walked towards them and beckoned them towards the door. As Cole and Dylan threw their stuff in the back of the Van, he turned to Eli.

"Long time no see E! So, why were you in a police station in Salem, when you live in forest grove?" Eli explained it all to him.

"So you see Dan, they can't go back!" Eli insisted to his cousin, Daniel.

They soon pulled up to a small little house and got out. They went inside and Dan sat them on the couch. He took a deep breath and started talking.

"You are runaways, it is against the law for me to let you live here with me. Besides, I don't have enough time for three kids." Eli sighed and Dylan held back tears.

"So…we have to go back home?" Cole asked sadly, although he knew the answer.

Daniel nodded "I'll let you stay here for a few days and you can think about what you'll say to your folks. It's the best I can do…Sorry."

Cole nodded and he and Dylan went to the spare bedroom.

Cole stared at his feet, when the bloody stains caught his eye. Then he realized something, Eli and he had both taken a life to protect their friends; and in the end, Cole had kept the promise he made to himself. Although Cole, along with Eli, now had stains of blood on their innocence, he had succeeded on keeping Dylan safe, and stain free. He smiled to himself a little bit, before he looked at his left arm. The scar on it seemed more pronounced than ever. The journey was not only in vain, but it had taken something from both Cole and Eli they would never be able to get back. They now carried a burden more difficult than any other. They both shared something. Although they could wash the shoes a million times, they would never really get rid of the stains.

**A/N: This is the end of the story. I'm going to put up an epilogue soon that explains what happened when they got home, but in reality, the story is over. Thanks for reading and please review. I am going to start another fic, only this next one won't be a Sprouse fic, it will be a suite life fic, a fairly light hearted romantic comedy slash. Again, please review!**


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The twins returned home to the relief of their parents. They explained that being gay was who they are and nothing would change that. Their mother said that that was untrue, and they were abominations. Their father accepted this and the twins went to live with him. They graduated from Pacific University, with Cole majoring in acting, and Dylan in Zoology.

Eli would return home to his family, and would get ownership of BJ's when the owner passed away in 2010. He kept it successful and lived a comfortable life.

In 2036, when the twins mother was on her death bed, she finally apologized to them both before passing away from natural causes.

END


End file.
